Buying jewelry can be fun and exciting, like a treasure hunt; but it can also be a bit confusing, like hunting for treasure without a map! Here’s a three-part guide to getting good value when you shop for gold, silver and platinum jewelry pieces.

Shopping for fine quality jewelry truly is a hunt for treasure; you will be looking at precious, gleaming metals, scintillating diamonds, and an amazing array of glittering, colorful gemstones and lustrous pearls. It can all be pretty dazzling and blinding.

To help avoid confusion and “bling overload,” it’s good to familiarize yourself with some of the terms and definitions used in the industry, plus some common-sense shopper’s tips before heading out on your treasure hunting adventure.

Like every other high-ticket purchase, fine quality jewelry requires some research and inquiry before purchase. The admonition “shop around” applies.

Compare quality, price, and service. Prices for similar items can vary greatly from one store to the next, and with Internet sales on the rise, checking online stores is always wise. Online stores do not have the overhead costs of maintaining a “brick-and-mortar” store in an expensive location such as a mall, plus the salaries and commissions of salespeople, and the “prestige” of a recognizable name